Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary Latin for “by head,” meaning to be determined by the number of people. Under a will, this is the most common method of determining what share of property each beneficiary gets when one of the beneficiaries dies before the willmaker, leaving children of his or her own.

What does the word per capita mean in English?

Per capita is a Latin phrase literally meaning “by heads” or “for each head”, and idiomatically used to mean “per person”. It is commonly and usually used in the field of statistics in place of saying “per person” (although per caput is the Latin for “per head”).

What does per Stirpes mean for beneficiaries?

Per stirpes stipulates that a beneficiary’s heirs receive the inheritance should the beneficiary die before the testator. The term refers to every person down a branch of a family tree.

What does per capita mean in healthcare?

Per capita national health expenditures indicate the average cost per person to different payers for various health care services.

Where does the word per capita come from?

It means per person or per head of the population. The Latin word Capita means ‘head’, while ‘Per’ is Latin for ‘by’ or ‘by means of’. In economics it is common to say ‘per capita’ instead of ‘per person’. The dictionary Merriam-Webster says that records of the term used in the English language date back to 17th century England.

How is per capita used in economics and statistics?

It is a Latin term that translates to “by the head.” It’s commonly used in statistics, economics, and business to report an average per person. It tells you how a country, state, or city affects its residents. In statistics, it’s used to compare the economic indicators of countries with different population sizes.

What does per capita mean in estate law?

Per Capita. A term used in the Descent and Distribution of the estate of one who dies without a will. It means to share and share alike according to the number of individuals. In a per capita distribution, an equal share of an estate is given to each heir, all of whom stand in equal degree of relationship from a decedent.

What’s the difference between per capita income and GDP?

The economic term income per capita or per capita income measures the average income per person in a country, region or city in a particular year. It is calculated by dividing total income by the population. Average GDP per capita has the same meaning. The term does not tell you what people’s salaries are,…